How long in observational QT?

[Mariette]

Everyone gets a full 2 week copper treatment and 2 rounds of Prazi in 10g treatment tank before moving into fully cycled 45g observation tank for a month. Final step: graduation to 110g display tank. Am 100% convinced treatment of all new fish is a must. My question is about duration of observational QT. The 45g observational QT is suitable as their forever home so I’m in no rush. Thanks

 

[nereefpat]

Everyone gets a full 2 week copper treatment and 2 rounds of Prazi in 10g treatment tank before moving into fully cycled 45g observation tank for a month.

That will cover ich, velvet, and most worms.

Am 100% convinced treatment of all new fish is a must.

I agree, especially now compared to 10-15 years ago.

My question is about duration of observational QT. The 45g observational QT is suitable as their forever home so I’m in no rush. Thanks

That's a great plan. I would just fatten the fish up and observe for a couple weeks, since you have the option to do so. In this tank, you can make sure they are eating all the foods you feed to your display. You can also grow out a new fish that comes in really tiny.

 

[Mariette]

That will cover ich, velvet, and most worms.


I agree, especially now compared to 10-15 years ago.


That's a great plan. I would just fatten the fish up and observe for a couple weeks, since you have the option to do so. In this tank, you can make sure they are eating all the foods you feed to your display. You can also grow out a new fish that comes in really tiny.

One of them is a lawnmower blenny. There was no naturally growin algae at the store I bought him. Or in the treatment tank where he spent 3 weeks hiding. Got a good lol at him during the move and he’s surprisingly healthy looking. He’s been in the observation tank for 2 hours and is happily picking away at all kinds of algae. I let that tank get overgrown just for him. He’s doing so well. They all are. I’m so excited

 

[Mariette]

That will cover ich, velvet, and most worms.


I agree, especially now compared to 10-15 years ago.


That's a great plan. I would just fatten the fish up and observe for a couple weeks, since you have the option to do so. In this tank, you can make sure they are eating all the foods you feed to your display. You can also grow out a new fish that comes in really tiny.

I’ve noticed much less disease the last few months. Maybe due to decrease in traffic of fish due to the virus. I don’t know. Still not taking chances though. 100% treatment required.

 

[TCoach]

I thought you needed to copper treat for a full 30 days if not transferring tanks. Sounds like you did 14 of copper and the started another treatment in the same tank?

if I’m understanding this right, your fish could still be carrying disease due to reinfection after the copper lowered. I’m still learning all this, so someone with more knowledge may chime in.

 

[Joe31415]

That will cover ich, velvet, and most worms.

I have two clowns in QT right now. I ran them through copper and some other meds. A few days after I pulled the copper out, they showed signs of either ich or velvet.
I'm not in the process of doing the hybrid tank to tank method, hopefully that'll break the cycle.
I think the clowns have been in QT for nearly 3 months now.
My DT has been ready to go and fully cycled for *months* now and it's still sits there, empty, eagerly awaiting it's first fish. I have a bunch of corals in their own QT as well.

In the past we've had threads where people ask how to get started with SW tanks and one of the things often mentioned, possibly because the BRS guys suggested it, is that the second you even start thinking about a tank, get your rock and start curing it. After all this, my suggestion is that the first thing you do is get your first few fish into QT. If they finish QT before the tank is ready, they can stay there longer. If QT lasts longer than expected, you don't end up with an empty tank for months.

 

[nereefpat]

I thought you needed to copper treat for a full 30 days if not transferring tanks. Sounds like you did 14 of copper and the started another treatment in the same tank?

if I’m understanding this right, your fish could still be carrying disease due to reinfection after the copper lowered. I’m still learning all this, so someone with more knowledge may chime in.

It seems to me that OP treated with copper for 14 days, then moved the fish into a new observation tank (sterile from ich and velvet). @Mariette can confirm.

I have two clowns in QT right now. I ran them through copper and some other meds. A few days after I pulled the copper out, they showed signs of either ich or velvet.

Did you transfer the fish to a new tank before you pulled the copper? If you leave the fish in the same tank, and remove copper, the ich/velvet cysts present in the tank can hatch and infect the fish.

 

[Mariette]

It seems to me that OP treated with copper for 14 days, then moved the fish into a new observation tank (sterile from ich and velvet). @Mariette can confirm.


Did you transfer the fish to a new tank before you pulled the copper? If you leave the fish in the same tank, and remove copper, the ich/velvet cysts present in the tank can hatch and infect the fish.

I did a round of Prazi. Then a second round of Prazi w copper. The copper was at full dose for 2 weeks as instructed on the bottle. The fish were then removed from the treatment tank and placed in an observation tank that has been fallow for 6 mths so no chance of ick or velvet there.

 

[Mariette]

It seems to me that OP treated with copper for 14 days, then moved the fish into a new observation tank (sterile from ich and velvet). @Mariette can confirm.


Did you transfer the fish to a new tank before you pulled the copper? If you leave the fish in the same tank, and remove copper, the ich/velvet cysts present in the tank can hatch and infect the fish.

Sorry to hear about your experience. Yes, after copper, fish were removed from the 10g treatment tank and moved to a 45g observation tank

 

[Mariette]

I have two clowns in QT right now. I ran them through copper and some other meds. A few days after I pulled the copper out, they showed signs of either ich or velvet.
I'm not in the process of doing the hybrid tank to tank method, hopefully that'll break the cycle.
I think the clowns have been in QT for nearly 3 months now.
My DT has been ready to go and fully cycled for *months* now and it's still sits there, empty, eagerly awaiting it's first fish. I have a bunch of corals in their own QT as well.

In the past we've had threads where people ask how to get started with SW tanks and one of the things often mentioned, possibly because the BRS guys suggested it, is that the second you even start thinking about a tank, get your rock and start curing it. After all this, my suggestion is that the first thing you do is get your first few fish into QT. If they finish QT before the tank is ready, they can stay there longer. If QT lasts longer than expected, you don't end up with an empty tank for months.

All very good points. I have a sterile treatment tank. A 45g fully cycled tank for observation. And a 110g display tank. The 110g has a few corals, inverts and 6 fish all of whom have gone through the same qt process. All corals and inverts have spent 3 mths in the 45g fallow to starve off any parasites. I’ve got a very strict routine and am careful not to cross contaminate tanks. My only issue is a duration of observational qt because, as you’ve said, ick can show up after treatment.

 

[Joe31415]

Did you transfer the fish to a new tank before you pulled the copper? If you leave the fish in the same tank, and remove copper, the ich/velvet cysts present in the tank can hatch and infect the fish.

I should have specified that I had the fish in copper (2.5ppm) for 30 days, not 14. This is one of Humble Fish's methods. With 30 days, you don't need to transfer. He only mentions transferring if they spend 14 days in copper.

 

[Mariette]

I should have specified that I had the fish in copper (2.5ppm) for 30 days, not 14. This is one of Humble Fish's methods. With 30 days, you don't need to transfer. He only mentions transferring if they spend 14 days in copper.

Humble fish is very knowledgeable and I trust what he says personally, I find water changes w copper a real pain the the you know what + I have a nice big observational qt set up so it just works better for me to move the fish after 14 days

 

[nereefpat]

I should have specified that I had the fish in copper (2.5ppm) for 30 days, not 14. This is one of Humble Fish's methods. With 30 days, you don't need to transfer. He only mentions transferring if they spend 14 days in copper.

Which I disagree with. After you remove the copper, the tomonts can then hatch and infect your fish if they are in the same tank.

 

[Mariette]

Which I disagree with. After you remove the copper, the tomonts can then hatch and infect your fish if they are in the same tank.

I don’t know who’s right but I try to minimize contact w copper so the 30 days seems a bit much.

 

[davidcalgary29]

One of them is a lawnmower blenny. There was no naturally growin algae at the store I bought him. Or in the treatment tank where he spent 3 weeks hiding. Got a good lol at him during the move and he’s surprisingly healthy looking. He’s been in the observation tank for 2 hours and is happily picking away at all kinds of algae. I let that tank get overgrown just for him. He’s doing so well. They all are. I’m so excited

My lawnmower blenny has actively avoided all forms of algae that I've thrown in with it in quarantine except green film algae. It does, however, actively devour mysis and flakes.

 

[ariellemermaid]

I’d love for someone to explain the point of copper tank transfer vs. just treating for 30 days. 2 weeks of treatment plus 2 weeks of obs in another tank (one of humblefish’s options) takes the same amount of time as 4 weeks of copper. With 30 days you can be sure the ich is dead, but with 2/2 it seems like you’re more hoping you got it all. Except you only need 1 tank with the first option. And, if the fish ever do have ich in the second tank it has to be completely disinfected which is a headache. I suppose you could debate whether 30 days is more or less stressful than transferring the fish an extra time...

 

[Mariette]

My lawnmower blenny has actively avoided all forms of algae that I've thrown in with it in quarantine except green film algae. It does, however, actively devour mysis and flakes.

What a weirdo lol

 

[Mariette]

I’d love for someone to explain the point of copper tank transfer vs. just treating for 30 days. 2 weeks of treatment plus 2 weeks of obs in another tank (one of humblefish’s options) takes the same amount of time as 4 weeks of copper. With 30 days you can be sure the ich is dead, but with 2/2 it seems like you’re more hoping you got it all. Except you only need 1 tank with the first option. And, if the fish ever do have ich in the second tank it has to be completely disinfected which is a headache. I suppose you could debate whether 30 days is more or less stressful than transferring the fish an extra time...

I do a 1 mth observation after treatment before going into DT. My treatment tank is bare bottom w no live rock and it’s really not a great environment for long term housing. Plus copper isn’t good for the fish. It kills parasites. It’s literally poison at a dose too low to kill fish but it’s not good for the fish either. So I do a 2 week treatment, as indicated on the bottle. I have a 45g proper tank set up so I then transfer the fish there for observation. The fish behave much more normally once in a proper environment with no meds. That’s why I do it that way. If the fish show signs of ick in observation (which hasn’t happened yet) that tank stays fallow for 3 mths. It’s a lot of work but it pays off in my opinion. Plus I happen to have the extra tanks set up so it’s no bog deal for me.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Everyone gets a full 2 week copper treatment and 2 rounds of Prazi in 10g treatment tank before moving into fully cycled 45g observation tank for a month. Final step: graduation to 110g display tank. Am 100% convinced treatment of all new fish is a must. My question is about duration of observational QT. The 45g observational QT is suitable as their forever home so I’m in no rush. Thanks

Praziquantel often doesn't control Neobenedenia flukes. I always give fish a 5 minute diagnostic dip after the observation period to screen for Neo. I also change up your numbers a bit - 30 days copper and 2 weeks observation with no meds.

Jay

 

[Mariette]

Praziquantel often doesn't control Neobenedenia flukes. I always give fish a 5 minute diagnostic dip after the observation period to screen for Neo. I also change up your numbers a bit - 30 days copper and 2 weeks observation with no meds.

Jay

I’ve literally never had good results w a freshwater dip ever. Every fish I’ve ever dipped gets really stressed and I have to pull them out before the 5 min. I match the temp and ph in the dip so I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.

I’ve actually never had a fish make it though 2 doses of prazi and 2 weeks of copper and show signs of disease after.